Princess Izzy's Readers' Guide

Readers’ Guide to Princess Izzy and the E Street Shuffle

Here are questions for use in book club discussions of Princess Izzy and the E Street Shuffle. (These are written in a way that minimizes spoilers.)

1) Early on, the narrator notes that “you can tell so much about people by what they choose to be called.  And people do choose for themselves, ultimately.  Your mother might call you Araminta, but you can introduce yourself as Minty or Ara or Tiny or – why not? – Scooter.  You have a choice and the choice that you make reveals much about you.”  As the story goes on, virtually every character – except for the King – uses a different name.  Jeffery Wright becomes Geoffrey Whitehall-Wright.  Isabella Cordage becomes Her Royal Highness the Princess of Gallagher, and then she becomes “Princess Izzy” and “Dizzy Izzy.” Geoffrey calls her “Belle.”  What, if anything, do you think the constant name changing revealed about the characters and their roles and relationships? Have you ever changed your name, either through marriage, court order, or simply choosing to be known by a different nickname or by your middle name? How did this feel? If you were going to change your name now, what would you change it to?

2) At both the beginning and the end of the book, the narrator discusses the question of whether a woman – particularly a woman raised in Isabella’s time in the way that she was raised – can walk away from the invitation to be queen.  “It is like winning the lottery,” the narrator writes. “You know the jackpot can destroy a family, turn friends into wolves, and leave your life empty and directionless. You know that. But if your number comes up, you can’t just throw the ticket away. You can’t tell lightning to go strike somewhere else.”  Do you think this is true? Would you have been able to turn down an invitation to be queen, if you were a young, single, Bisbanian woman?  What decision do you think Milo will make?

3) The narrator says at the beginning of chapter 3 that she should confess, before going further, that she “believes in princesses.” She says we need people “who glitter and shine and make a room silent with their entrance. We need them the way we need ice cream and soccer and music and stories.”  Do you believe in princesses?  Do you think celebrities provide any tangible benefit to society?

4) What do you think of Mae's final conclusion about Milo's parentage? Do you think this is a healthy outlook for Mae? Or is she being delusional?

5) Princess Izzy and the E Street Shuffle pokes fun at modern royal biographies, saying that the women in those books are forever consulting 'tarot card readers, dream interpreters or, you know, Rasputin.' Princess Izzy, of course, uses Bruce Springsteen lyrics.  Do you think she really believed the Springsteen lyrics helped her? Or was she aware that she was really taking her own advice? Have you ever felt led by a song when making a decision?

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